ORANJESTAD, Aruba — Another intriguing lead in the two-month old search for Natalee Holloway (search) came to nothing, as the FBI concluded that strands of blond hair stuck to duct tape did not come from the missing Alabama teenager.
The hair, which was found on July 17, was subjected to genetic testing at the FBI crime lab in Quantico, Va., and the results showed they were not from the 18-year-old who has been missing since May 30, said spokeswoman Judy Orihuela.
"It wasn't Natalee's hair," Orihuela said.
A park ranger found the duct tape while collecting trash on Aruba's northeast coast — the opposite side of the island from where the Alabama woman was last seen in public.
"I was completely relieved" by the FBI results, said Beth Holloway Twitty (search), the teen's mother. "Everytime we exhaust something like this it's a possibility that Natalee is still alive."
A sample of the hair also was tested at a crime lab in the Netherlands, but the results have not been released.
Aruban government spokesman Ruben Trapenberg said he doubted the Dutch results would differ from the FBI's findings. Aruba, a Dutch protectorate, doesn't have a lab to conduct the genetic testing.
"The hair was never something we considered significant but it needed to be checked out," Trapenberg said.
The news came as authorities in Aruba neared the end of an effort to drain a pond near a hotel and tennis club that has become a focus in the investigation. Holloway disappeared on the final night of a high school graduation trip to the Caribbean island.
Extensive searches by Dutch marines, Aruban police and some 2,000 volunteers have found no trace of her.
No one has been charged in the case and Joran van der Sloot (search), 17, is the only person detained as a suspect. Two Surinamese brothers, Satish and Deepak Kalpoe, were previously held and released.
Crews expected to finish draining the pond on Friday, said Gabriel Kelly, a spokesman for the island's fire department, which was coordinating the effort.
Admin Moderator would you please correct the title of this thread and change it to Thread 11. Thank you for your assistance.
Hey, over here. Come on.
bttt
Where is the landfill in relation to the 'old' Hilton?
Didn't someone postulate that the old Hilton may have an underground garage? Perfect place for a rave?
So, if not Natalee's hair, did some other female meet with a similar fate?
Today is Friday --- let's see if they finish draining the pond. I was shocked to see it on tv. Much larger than I had imagined.
I missed yesterday's posts entirely. Thanks for your efforts to keep us on subject.
Any news on any of the rulings that were to come down today??